The 2020 Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday and its slate is packed with titles by and about women. Women and Hollywood has put together a rundown of some of the buzziest films screening in Park City, Utah, over the next couple weeks.
Since it is an election year, it’s not surprising that several films will — implicitly or explicitly — get political. In Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” a young woman must travel to another state to get an abortion, while Ekwa Msangi’s “Farewell Amor” centers on a newly-reunited Angolan immigrant couple struggling to reconnect. Documentaries such as Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” Shalini Kantayya’s “Coded Bias,” and Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht’s “Crip Camp,” focus on those making change in the worlds of criminal justice, technology, and disability rights, respectively. Nanette Burstein’s docuseries “Hillary” tells the story of one of the most divisive political figures of all time: former First Lady, Secretary of State, and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
The fest will also present unconventional biopics about trailblazing women. “The Glorias,” from Julie Taymor, sees both Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander portraying feminist icon Gloria Steinem. Meanwhile, Josephine Decker’s “Shirley” delves into iconic horror author Shirley Jackson’s (Elisabeth Moss) consciousness.
The effects #MeToo and #TimesUp will be felt at Sundance with the premieres of “Promising Young Woman,” “Lost Girls,” and “On the Record.” From writer-director Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman” chronicles a sexual assault survivor’s years-long quest for revenge. Directed by Liz Garbus, “Lost Girls,” based on a true story, sees a mother searching for her missing daughter and seeking justice for murdered young sex workers, whose cases had been ignored for years by law enforcement. Finally, the most controversial film of this year’s festival is Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick’s latest doc, “On the Record,” which follows former hip hop producer Drew Dixon as she struggles with whether to go on the record and name her assaulter.
Sundance 2020 will run January 23-February 2. Please keep in mind that this list is far from exhaustive. There are many more films by and about women to see at Sundance. Be sure to check out our interviews with women directors screening films at the fest, which we’ll begin publishing this week.
Here are some of our most anticipated films of Sundance 2020. Synopses are courtesy of the festival.
“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” – Written and Directed by Eliza Hittman
What it’s about: An intimate portrayal of two teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania. Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) embark on a brave, fraught journey across state lines to New York City.
Why we’re excited: Eliza Hittman’s latest feature takes on a topic that, unfortunately, is extremely timely: access to abortion. Even in states that haven’t passed severe bans, access to abortion can be next to impossible for millions of women. Geography, money, and the lack of personal and professional support often prevent women from getting the medical care they need, particularly if they’re planning to terminate a pregnancy. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” is the unique story of one young woman, a teen who must cross state lines to get an abortion — but Hittman’s film also seems to serve as a parable for life as a working-class American woman.
“The 40-Year-Old Version” – Written and Directed by Radha Blank
“The 40-Year-Old Version”
What it’s about: A down-on-her-luck New York playwright (Radha Blank) decides to reinvent herself and salvage her artistic voice the only way she knows how: by becoming a rapper at age 40.
Why we’re excited: Radha Blank described her feature directorial debut as her love letter to New York, her mother, and the struggling New York artist in an upcoming interview with us. “It’s also my love letter to the New York institutions of hip hop and theater — forces that loved and groomed me but were also, at times, not so loving to me as I grew as an artist in New York,” she said. With “The 40-Year-Old Version,” she was determined to inset “a not-often-seen character into the canon of New York stories.”
Blank, whose writing credits include “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Empire,” stars in the film, which counts Lena Waithe among its exec producers. The pic centers on a 40-year-old artist facing stigma for continuing to pursue her artistic dreams and for being single. There are many stories about aspiring actors, writers, and musicians trying to make their mark on the Big Apple, but they’re typically white 20-somethings. Shot almost entirely on 35mm black and white film, “The 40-Year-Old Version” puts an older black woman front and center, and Blank promises to show “pockets of New York [that] aren’t often seen on screen — or at all,” putting a fresh spin — and setting — on a familiar tale.
“Shirley” – Directed by Josephine Decker; Written by Sarah Gubbins
“Shirley”: Sundance Institute/Thatcher Keats
What it’s about: A young couple moves in with the famed author, Shirley Jackson (Elisabeth Moss), and her Bennington College professor husband, Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg), in the hope of starting a new life but instead find themselves fodder for a psycho-drama that inspires Shirley’s next novel.
Why we’re excited: Josephine Decker blew minds with her last feature, 2018’s “Madeline’s Madeline,” a trippy, meta exploration of identity and art, and she promises to do the same with “Shirley,” her tribute to trailblazing genre writer Shirley Jackson.
Decker gushed about the “Haunting of Hill House” author in an interview with us. “Shirley writes about consciousness; her descent into her characters’ psychologies always ends up leading the reader down new strange corridors,” she said. “I am obsessed with the mind and how it is a constantly fickle, ever-changing guide that fools you into believing that the reality you are living in is one you didn’t create yourself. Shirley is clearly obsessed with the same.” Their mutual obsession will align with “Shirley,” a psychological drama that inserts Jackson into the story, and was heavily influenced by Jackson’s own writing. The fact that Jackson is being portrayed by the always-incredible Elisabeth Moss makes us extra excited for the pic.
“Zola” – Directed by Janicza Bravo; Written by Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris
“Zola”: Sundance Institute/Anna Kooris
What it’s about: 2015: @zolarmoon tweets “wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out???????? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” Two girls bond over their “hoeism” and become fast friends. What’s supposed to be a trip from Detroit to Florida turns into a weekend from hell.
Why we’re excited: With its focus on two strippers embarking on a wild get-rich-quick scheme, not to mention a pretty crazy road trip, Janicza Bravo’s second feature film sounds like a hybrid of Lorene Scafaria’s “Hustlers” and Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey.” Like those other two titles, “Zola” features intense, complicated friendships and explores the economic realities of being poor in America. However, given its source material, “Zola” also promises to deliver on the absurdity and comedy. The film is based on A’ziah King’s epic 2015 Twitter thread chronicling her trip to Florida with a “white bitch” she met at Hooters. Suffice to say this story is so insane, no one could ever make it up — so, obviously, “Zola” is a must-see.
“Crip Camp” (Documentary) – Directed by Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht
“Crip Camp”: Sundance Institute/Steve Honigsbaum
What it’s about: Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement.
Why we’re excited: This Obamas-produced documentary sheds light on the early days of the disability rights movement, an aspect of social justice that has not been explored nearly enough, in pop culture or in history. According to research from the Inclusion Initiative, only 1.6 percent of speaking characters in the top movies from 2007-2018 were depicted with a disability. Obviously, there’s a real need for better, more inclusive representation. “Crip Camp” not only puts communities living with disabilities center stage, the doc promises to explore the past, present, and future of disability rights activism.
“Coded Bias” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Shalini Kantayya
What it’s about: “Coded Bias” explores the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini’s startling discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.
Why we’re excited: As technology, and human dependence on it, becomes more and more a part of everyday life, “Coded Bias” asks a terrifying question: what if artificial intelligence is biased? Through the story of Joy Buolamwini, filmmaker Shalini Kantayya investigates AI and its lack of recognition of dark-skinned faces. In a world where people of color are systemically marginalized, the rise of AI and our dictated-by-algorithms life could mean minorities will face even more discrimination in the future. That’s pretty bleak, but also why Kantayya chose Buolamwini as a subject: “In Joy Buolamwini’s transformation from scientist to a tireless advocate to pass legislation, is a hope for a more equitable and humane technological future,” the director said.
“Time” (Documentary) – Directed by Garrett Bradley
What it’s about: Fox Rich, indomitable matriarch and modern-day abolitionist, strives to keep her family together while fighting for the release of her incarcerated husband. An intimate, epic, and unconventional love story, filmed over two decades.
Why we’re excited: Similar to Ava DuVernay’s work with “13th,” Garrett Bradley seems to be drawing a direct line from slavery to mass incarceration in her doc. However, in “Time,” Bradley — who has collaborated with DuVernay on “When They See Us” and “Queen Sugar” — zeroes in on how the criminal justice system has affected one particular family. By following Fox Rich and her tireless efforts to get her husband out of prison, “Time” promises to be an epic romance, a call for reform, and a portrait of a real-life heroine.
“La Leyenda Negra” – Written and Directed by Patricia Vidal Delgado
“La Leyenda Negra”: Sundance Institute/Matt Maio
What it’s about: In Compton, a soon-to-be undocumented teenager fights for her right to stay in America while risking her family, her friendships, and her first love.
Why we’re excited: Patricia Vidal Delgado’s feature directorial debut is two familiar narratives in one: it’s an immigration tale and a high school drama. “La Leyenda Negra,” which translates to “The Black Legend,” centers on Aleteia (Monica Betancourt), a teen who has grown up in the U.S. but is facing possible deportation. The El Salvador native’s temporary protection status has been revoked just as she’s begun to make friends at her new school in Compton. By focusing on the social aspect of Aleteia’s life, “La Leyenda Negra” promises to offer a unique take on the immigration story. Aleteia is surely worried about her undocumented status and scared about being forced to leave her home, but she’s also a teenager dealing with the normal high school drama.
“The Glorias” – Directed by Julie Taymor; Written by Julie Taymor and Sarah Ruhl
“The Glorias”: Sundance Institute
What it’s about: An equal rights crusader, journalist, and activist: Gloria Steinem embodies these and more. From her role in the revolutionary women’s rights movement to her travels throughout the U.S. and around the world, Steinem has made an everlasting mark on modern history. A nontraditional chronicle of a trailblazing life.
Why we’re excited: “The Glorias” counts Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Bette Midler, Janelle Monae, and Lorraine Toussaint among its cast. It tells the story of one of the most influential feminists of our time. Julie Taymor, a trailblazer in her own right, directed and co-wrote the biopic alongside playwright Sarah Ruhl, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. We’d be interesting in seeing anything with this cast and crew behind it, never mind a portrait of Gloria Steinem. “The Glorias” will no doubt serve as a powerful reminder of just how far we’ve come — and just how far we have to go — towards gender equality.
“The Last Thing He Wanted” – Directed by Dee Rees; Written by Dee Rees and Marco Vallalobos
“The Last Thing He Wanted”: Sundance Institute
What it’s about: A veteran D.C. journalist loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she’s trying to break. Adapted from the Joan Didion novel of the same title.
Why we’re excited: “The Last Thing He Wanted” is Dee Rees’ fourth feature. Her first two, “Pariah” and “Bessie,” offered nuanced portraits of misunderstood women, and her third, “Mudbound,” was an epic drama depicting the intertwined fates of a black family and white family in post-WWII Mississippi. All of them received well-deserved critical acclaim. With Anne Hathaway, Rosie Perez, Ben Affleck, and Willem Dafoe leading its cast, “The Last Thing He Wanted” is Rees’ most star-studded outing yet, and hopefully the most high-profile. The last time a movie featuring a female journalist made the news was for all the wrong reasons, but we’re betting this political thriller won’t reduce its protagonist, an experienced D.C. journalist, to a damaging, retrograde stereotype.
“Herself” – Directed by Phyllida Lloyd; Written by Clare Dunne and Malcolm Campbell
“Herself”: Sundance Institute
What it’s about: Struggling to provide her daughters with a safe, happy home, Sandra (Clare Dunne) decides to build one – from scratch. Using all her ingenuity to make her ambitious dream a reality, Sandra draws together a community to lend a helping hand to build her house and ultimately recover her own sense of self.
Why we’re excited: How could we not want to see a film directed by Phyllida Lloyd, of “The Iron Lady” and “Mamma Mia!” fame, and produced by Sharon Horgan? The fact that “Herself” centers on an everywoman taking on the housing crisis just makes the movie that much more intriguing. Plus, it marks the first lead film role for star and co-writer Clare Dunne, who is best known as a theater actress. On-screen and off, “Herself” sees women taking charge, making changes, and insisting their voices be heard.
“Lost Girls” – Directed by Liz Garbus
What it’s about: When Mari Gilbert’s (Amy Ryan) daughter disappears, police inaction drives her own investigation into the gated Long Island community where Shannan was last seen. Committed to finding the truth, her search brings attention to over a dozen murdered sex workers Mari will not let the world forget. Inspired by true events.
Why we’re excited: “Lost Girls” marks the narrative feature debut of Liz Garbus, a two-time Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker. The true crime story sees a missing woman’s mother taking matters into her own hands when police seem more eager to judge the sex worker than investigate what happened to her. Amy Ryan received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for playing the mother of a missing child in 2007’s “Gone Baby Gone,” and this time, she’s taking center stage. “Jojo Rabbit” and “Leave No Trace” breakout Thomasin McKenzie co-stars in the pic, which promises to explore how law enforcement’s prejudice towards sex workers endangers lives.
“Promising Young Woman” – Written and Directed by Emerald Fennell
“Promising Young Woman”: Focus Features
What it’s about: Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman — until something abruptly derailed her future. Nothing in Cassie’s life is as it appears: she’s smart, cunning, and living a double life by night. Now, Cassie has a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling take on revenge.
Why we’re excited: We’ve seen the trailer. Former “Killing Eve” showrunner Emerald Fennell’s first feature film has style to burn, not to mention a strong point of view. This post-#MeToo/#TimesUp revenge tale rages against rape culture, terrible men, and the women who protect them. Despite all the shit we’re forced to put up with, we as women often tamp down our anger, for fear that it will prevent us from being taken seriously. “Promising Young Woman” seems to flip that very notion the bird. Tons of women are just as pissed as Carey Mulligan’s Cassie. Maybe, this movie seems to suggest, we should do something besides swallow our fury.
“Aggie” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Catherine Gund
What it’s about: An exploration of the nexus of art, race, and justice through the story of art collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund, who sold Roy Lichtenstein’s painting “Masterpiece” in 2017 for $165 million to start the Art for Justice Fund to end mass incarceration.
Why we’re excited: It’s not often that someone with massive power and privilege actually uses their status for good. Yet that’s what Agnes Gund did when she parted with “Masterpiece” and used the money to set up the Art for Justice Fund. Directed by Gund’s daughter, Catherine, the doc will give us the chance to get to know the titular philanthropist and art lover, learn more about the Fund, and understand how art can be used as a means for social justice. “Aggie” also features interviews with other activists and artists such as Ava DuVernay and John Waters.
“On the Record” (Documentary) – Directed by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick; Written by Amy Ziering, Sara Newens, and Kirby Dick
What it’s about: A brilliant former hip hop executive grapples with whether to go public about her rape by one of the most powerful men in the music industry. A gripping and profound examination of race, gender, intersectionality, and the toll sexual abuse takes on survivors and on society at large.
Why we’re excited: Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick have collaborated on several films, including “The Invisible War” and “The Hunting Ground,” both of which are examinations of rape culture. So it’s likely that they’ll bring as much sensitivity, nuance, and urgency to “On the Record.” The doc tells the story of Drew Dixon — who produced records by Mary J. Blige, Method Man, and more — and the assault she suffered at the hands of music mogul Russell Simmons. Ziering and Dick’s latest will explore yet another dimension of the complicated, intersectional system of misogyny that they’ve unpacked in their other work. Crucially, it also delves into the specific circumstances women of color face as survivors.
“Hillary” (Docuseries) – Written and Directed by Nanette Burstein
“Hillary”: Sundance Institute
What it’s about: A portrait of a public woman, interweaving moments from never-before-seen 2016 campaign footage with biographical chapters of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s life. Featuring exclusive interviews with Hillary herself, Bill Clinton, friends, and journalists, an examination of how she became simultaneously one of the most admired and vilified women in the world.
Why we’re excited: Hillary Clinton is one of those public figures that everyone has an opinion about. She’s a feminist hero, she’s a bitch, she’s a seasoned politician, she’s untrustworthy, she should be locked up, she should be president — you get the picture. When we talk about Clinton, we tend to speak of her as if she’s a symbol. She is, of course, but she’s also a real person. As the former Secretary of State says about herself in the trailer for this docuseries, she’s “neither as good or as bad as some people say.” Perhaps Nanette Burstein’s docuseries will let us actually, finally get to know whoever Clinton really is, whoever Hillary really is.
“Come Away” – Directed by Brenda Chapman; Written by Marissa Kate Goodhill
“Come Away”: Sundance Institute
What it’s about: Before Alice found Wonderland, and Peter became Pan, they were brother and sister. When their brother dies in an accident, they seek to save their parents from downward spirals until finally they’re forced to choose between home and imagination, setting the stage for their iconic journeys into Wonderland and Neverland.
Why we’re excited: Who hasn’t wanted to escape to another world during tough times? Brenda Chapman’s first live-action feature is an exploration of grief, family, and the consequences of using fantasy to make reality more bearable. That’s pretty heavy subject matter for a film recommended for ages 10 and up, but then again, Chapman is no stranger to making movies that are equally captivating to children and adults — she did make “Brave” and “The Prince of Egypt” after all. Plus, amid the glut of remakes and sequels released every year, “Come Away” offers something truly original: a connection between the beloved stories of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Peter Pan.”
